Desperate to draw the army?s attention to the thorny issue, Calcutta Police on Monday sent out a fourth letter about the army?s barbed-wire fence on the Maidan.

Three letters have earlier been sent from the office of the deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Sanjay Mukherjee to the army, requesting it to remove the fence, as it was impeding police checks on religious gatherings and acting as a car-park barrier, too.

No reply has reached Lalbazar from Fort William, police said.

?In Monday?s letter, we have described the problems that police and Calcuttans are facing because of the fencing. We have requested them to reconsider their decision as citizens? interests and religious sentiments are involved,? said a senior officer at the police headquarters.

The fourth letter was based on a report submitted by deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Arun Sharma, who conducted a spot investigation during the past few occasions, like Id-ul-Fitr, the India-Pakistan cricket match at Eden Gardens and Chhat puja.

?There was total chaos during the cricket match. We could not provide parking space for cars allotted yellow stickers, as the designated parking space was fenced off. Then, during Chhat puja, we had to park nearly 1,500 cars on thoroughfares like Rani Rashmoni Avenue and Red Road,? said deputy commissioner Mukherjee.

?As a result traffic services were badly affected in the Esplanade area,? he concluded.

Identifying potential problem points, senior officials said similar parking problems would be faced during the Test between India and South Africa, starting on November 28, and the Ganga Sagar mela in January.

?Every year, Ganga Sagar pilgrims from across the country camp in front of Eden Gardens with their vehicles. If we find no space to park their vehicles, we will have no option but to use thoroughfares like Red Road and Strand Road,? police said.

The army, meanwhile, has been maintaining that it wants to conserve whatever greenery is left in the heart of the city. ?This time, we have planted thousands of saplings to give the Maidan a green look. The barbed-wire fencing is to protect the saplings and to save the green on the Maidan,? said an army officer.